Schmuley Boteach taught me an interesting point, summarized here:
In Christianity, Rabbi Shmuley states, there is no redemption without salvation; faith takes precedence over one's actions and salvation is the keystone upon which Christian ideals lay. With Judaism, however, personal salvation has never been the ultimate goal.
Judaism has always been about redemption and leaving the world a better place than you found it. …
I'm sorry, but I think Rabbi Shmuley mischaracterizes Christianity. In my view, our faith is expressed by our actions. Faith, hope and charity are intertwined.
Posted by: Rodet | January 08, 2013 at 01:24 PM
Ooooh ... I don't want to step on your toes here ... but a non-Mormon theologian would say that one of the differences between how Mormons and non-Mormons practice Christianity is the role of God's grace. Mormons invest much more heavily in the view that grace can be earned, and that the faithful are informed about the best way to do that. This puts Mormons much closer to Jews than to non-Mormon Christians on this point. So, to me it's not surprising that you'd take this position.
FWIW: as a non-Mormon, in the unusual position of having a lot of good friends that are either Mormon or Jewish, I'd have to say I find their positions on this much more sensible than the one I was raised with.
Posted by: Dave Tufte | January 10, 2013 at 09:34 AM
You're not stepping on my toes. I think it's a fascinating discussion that I can learn a lot from. :)
Posted by: Rodet | January 11, 2013 at 12:16 PM
I was thinking there's one more thing to add: a Jew would be interested in leaving the world a better place but wouldn't expect their God to notice, while a Mormon would be interested in leaving the world a better place because their God would notice.
Posted by: Dave Tufte | January 11, 2013 at 03:37 PM